


A Good Journalist

by angel_authoress



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Apologies, Best Friends, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Light Angst, because marinette deserved an apology, i'll be honest this fic was born of bitterness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-09-05 14:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16812295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel_authoress/pseuds/angel_authoress
Summary: Alya stops Marinette on her way home to tell her something important.





	A Good Journalist

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: so... chameleon huh
> 
> this fic is entirely self-indulgent, I felt that marinette was treated super unfairly, especially by her friends. so I wrote the scene she deserved. 
> 
> i know that my last attempt to write for miraculous didn't go very well, but i'm feeling much more confident this time around so hopefully this one goes better
> 
> really don't take this too seriously, i'm just some bitter person that's way too old to be watching this show writing things because i don't have anything better to do with my time
> 
> enjoy!

Frankly, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was ready to go home. And sleep. Possibly for the next day or so. Maybe two. Or three. 

After all, having a compulsive liar declare “war” on you and threaten to ruin your life is rather exhausting. She deserved the rest, as far as she was concerned. She was doing her best to keep her spirits high, repeating what Adrien said over and over again like a mantra in her head, but she couldn’t fight the flicker of anger she felt pooling in the pit of her stomach every time she so much as thought of Lila. 

“Don’t let her beat you Marinette,” Tikki urged, settling onto her shoulder. “The best way you can fight back is to show her that her lies can’t hurt you.”

She smiled down affectionately at her beloved kwami- honestly, she didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have Tikki to keep her at bay. “I know Tikki,” she replied. The small spark of fury had been quelled for now, but she had a feeling it would be a lingering sensation hanging over her head for the next few days. She could only hope that it wouldn’t get any worse, lest she risk being akumatized _again._ The last thing she wanted was to become a danger to Paris, the very place she tried so hard to protect.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, she heard a voice she knew all too well calling out from behind her. “Marinette! Hey, wait up!”

Marinette quickly turned around, and was shocked to find Alya running towards her, waving her arm. Once her longtime friend caught up she came to a stop in front of her, chest heaving. She had clearly been running for a while, judging by the way her wind-blown hair was now plastered to her cheeks and forehead. 

“Alya? What are you doing, Nino's house is the other way..?”

“I know, I just…” she paused to catch her breath. “There was something… something I wanted to tell you… it’s been bugging me all day…”

Marinette quirked a brow in mild confusion, smiling slightly. “Couldn’t you have just texted me? You didn’t have to run all this way, you know.”

Alya finally straightened, pushing her glasses further up onto her face. “It’s _really_ super important, and it didn't feel right to say it over text. Listen, Marinette… I’ve been thinking about what happened with the seats, and with Lila, and I just…” She met her friend’s gaze with intensity, their eyes locking. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have given your seat up without asking you. Honestly, I didn’t think you would mind much, but still, it wasn’t fair of me to move you to the back all by yourself without asking.”

Marinette blinked once, then twice, before she broke out into a large grin. “Oh, that’s all? It’s no big deal Alya, it all worked out in the end! You wanted to sit next to your boyfriend, I get it! No hard feelings!”

Alya still didn’t look relieved in the slightest by Marinette’s flimsy reassurance. In an uncharacteristic move, she instead looked down at the ground as if she were ashamed. “Still, I should’ve at least found a way to ask you. And, about Lila… it’s true that a good journalist always checks her sources. But… a good journalist also always listens. I failed today, both as a journalist, and as your friend. And I’m really sorry.”

And just like that, it was as if a huge pressure had suddenly just been lifted off her chest. Where it was hard to breathe before, as if she had been physically weighed down, now it felt _much_ easier. It was _such_ a relief, hearing something she hadn’t even known she needed to hear. It was almost too much for her, tears threatening to pool in the corners of her eyes at the sensation. “Alya…”

“Don’t tell me I shouldn’t be sorry,” she warned, although she was smiling now, too, reaching up under her glasses to wipe at stray tears. “Geez, girl, don’t look at me like that, you’re gonna make me cry.”

Marinette giggled before pulling her friend into a tight embrace. “Thank you… thank you _so_ much…”

She felt Alya nod against the crook of her neck. “You’re welcome Marinette.”

When they separated, Alya placed both hands on Marinette’s shoulders. “How about I come over and we make some _adjustments_ to the Ladyblog together?”

“But I thought you were hanging out at Nino’s place..?”

She laughed, waving a dismissive hand. “Eh, he can handle it. He’s a big boy. I'll text him and let him know about the change of plans.”

And as Alya began chatting with Marinette about the adjustments she planned to make to the post containing Lila’s video, the fire that had been burning hot in her veins was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> i'll let you come to your own conclusions about what "adjustments" means ;)


End file.
